The Current | January 23, 2015

2015 legislative session • January 23, 2015 • 12th day

Week two of the legislative session is coming to a close. Washington House Republicans have been hard at work, participating in committee hearings, meeting in caucus, talking with constituents, and answering calls and e-mails.

It was another bad week for the governor. On Wednesday, State Treasurer and fellow Democrat Jim McIntire said the governor's proposed operating budget would spend too much of the rainy day fund and jeopardize our state's sound financial management. You can read the letter McIntire sent to the governor here.

On Thursday, a nonpartisan legislative report showed the governor's state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has failed to adequately assess the risk of bridges and estimate the long-term costs of repairs. You can learn more in this article.

Also on Thursday, an update on the Seattle Tunnel Project and 520 Bridge replacement was provided in the House Transportation Committee. Transportation officials encountered bipartisan skepticism and tough questions. This article highlights some of the exchanges. Earlier in the day, it was revealed that state taxpayers would be on the hook for Bertha’s groundwater issues.

When it comes to our state transportation system, we have said consistently: Fix it before you fund it. That means holding the governor and WSDOT accountable for their results, and ensuring better outcomes with your gas-tax dollars. We proposed several reforms the last two years and you can expect more this year.

These reforms reflect one of our priorities this legislative session: to establish trust in state government. There have been too many broken promises that have eroded the public's confidence. We deserve better.

Last week, one of the governor's advisors suggested a "cap-and-jail" system to enforce the governor's new controversial carbon tax. This type of dialogue, and playing the blame game, are not constructive to the bipartisan legislative process.

With 74 Democrats and 73 Republicans in the Legislature, we must work together. We are doing our part. As of this week, Washington House Republicans have introduced 151 bills that have Democratic co-sponsors. Stay tuned.

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